The Sugar Culprit For older people, "a good diet" is generally not one which gets them svelte, but one that keeps them healthy. Whatever your diet program, the odds are if you are age 62 or older, you should keep an eye on your sugar intake. Sugar conveys particularly negative health consequences as we age. Older metabolisms tend to slow down in the production of the hormone known as insulin, which normally "soaks up" excess sugar. Most Americans know that insulin problems lead to diabetes, but they are also linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Unfortunately, sugar isn’t always easy to spot. Most people recognize honey and maple syrup as sugar, but many people without diabetes education don’t realize fruit salads and pancakes are also "sugars aboteurs." The Bad Carb Myth The phrase "bad carbs" became the rage with the Atkins diet, which most people mistakenly believe labels all carbohydrates as unhealthy. That’s not true, as even one of Dr. Atkins’ chief opponents, Dr. Dean Ornish, admits. Ornish wrote in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association that he and Atkins agreed "many Americans eat excessive amounts of processed foods high in simple carbohydrates." The difference is the Ornish diet advocates more of a balance between food groups: low in fat, moderate amounts of protein, and high in complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates as a food group provide fuel for the body. Simple carbohydrates have become known as "bad carbs" because they break down very quickly, causing quick peaks—and then drops—in sugar levels. They are found in sugars (including from fruit) and highly refined starches, mostly white flour products like regular pasta, white bread, white rice, and most cereals. So I’ll Eat ‘Good’ Carbs On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are generally seen as "good" carbs because they break down more slowly. So they generally provide a steadier, more reliable, source of fuel for the body. But now scientists have another warning: the glycemic index (GI). It is a measure used to evaluate actual sugar levels in various foods; specifically how fast a food raises sugar levels. In a population where diabetes is a major health issue, this is understandably a key concern. Unfortunately, even knowing a food’s GI isn’t always a reliable measure as to whether it is good or bad. There are some complex carbohydrates—white potatoes are the most common example—that can spike sugar levels quickly. What DO I Do? Ultimately, the main answers to healthful eating are rather boring. They are: Don’t wait for diabetes to start looking for hidden sugars—Canned fruits in syrups, most cakes and cookies, even many containers of yogurt, can compromise your sugar levels. Don’t splurge on fat—Do NOT bulk up on high-fat foods like bacon, butter, and hamburger, just because they are low carb. Two major studies have concluded that while highfat diets might help people lose weight faster, the weight loss isn’t maintained better than other diets. Besides, fat delivers about twice as many calories for the same number of grams as carbohydrates or proteins do—and study after study shows the disastrous impact of fat on health. Balance "good" foods—There are "good" fats, like those found in salmon. Vegetable proteins, like tofu and beans, can be consumed healthfully in greater bulk than animal proteins, like steak. Look for "healthy" carbs in foods rich in whole grains, like oatmeal and whole-wheat pastas.
Resource: "Finding the Healthy Diet" By Wendy J. Meyeroff; THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
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